1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an automatic sliding-type mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to an automatic sliding-type mobile communication terminal comprising a motor, a pair of engaging members, which are selectively engageable with each other, and position detecting means so that a first terminal body and a second terminal body are smoothly slid relative to each other in an automatic/semi-automatic mode or an automatic/manual mode. The present invention also relates to a method of automatically driving such an automatic sliding-type mobile communication terminal, and to a method of detecting an incoming call to such an automatic sliding-type mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a sliding-type mobile communication terminal has an upper terminal body and a lower terminal body. The upper terminal body and the lower terminal body are slid relative to each other while the upper terminal body is laid on the top of the lower terminal body so that the lower terminal body is exposed or covered.
A conventional sliding-type mobile communication terminal comprises a slide module including guides securely fixed to one side of the terminal for guiding a sliding movement, and sliders that perform a reciprocating sliding movement along the guides. The sliders are securely fixed to the other side of the terminal, which is opposite to the side of the terminal where the guides are securely fixed.
When the guides are provided at the rear part of the upper terminal body, for example, the sliders are attached to the front part of the lower terminal body in such a manner that the guides correspond to the sliders, whereby the sliders can perform a reciprocating sliding movement along the guides.
FIG. 1 is a rear view schematically showing a conventional sliding-type mobile communication terminal.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional sliding-type mobile communication terminal comprises an upper terminal body 110 having a display unit (not shown) at the front part thereof, and a lower terminal body 120 having a battery pack 121 attached to the rear part thereof. The upper terminal body 110 and the lower terminal body 120 are slid relative to each other while the upper terminal body 110 is laid on the top of the lower terminal body 120 so that the lower terminal body 120 is exposed or covered. At the rear part of the upper terminal body 110 are formed guide slits 111, in which guides (not shown) for guiding a sliding movement are disposed, respectively. At one side of the front part of the upper terminal body 120 are attached sliders, which perform a reciprocating sliding movement along the guides, respectively. Consequently, the sliders can be slid along with the lower terminal body 120.
Between the guides and the sliders are disposed resilient means, such as coil springs or other suitable springs, which provide a restoring force in the direction of opening the mobile communication terminal while the mobile communication terminal is closed so that the mobile communication terminal can be semi-automatically opened when the mobile communication terminal is opened.
However, the conventional sliding-type mobile communication terminal with the above-mentioned slide module has a drawback in that the sliding-type mobile communication terminal is not easily opened/closed as compared to a folder-type mobile communication terminal, and the mobile communication terminal is not easily opened/closed with one hand.
Therefore, an automatic sliding-type mobile communication terminal that eliminates the above-mentioned drawback has been increasingly requested in the art to which the present invention pertains.
Such a sliding-type mobile communication terminal that is capable of automatically performing an opening/closing operation of the mobile communication terminal is shown in FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the sliding-type mobile communication terminal comprises a pinion gear 131 attached to one end of a second terminal body 120′, a rack 111′ attached to one side of a first terminal body 110′ in the longitudinal direction of the first terminal body 110′ such that the rack 111′ is engaged with the pinion gear 131, a driving motor 133 securely fixed to the second terminal body 120′ for providing a driving force, a worm 132 for transmitting the driving force from the driving motor to the pinion gear 131, and a control switch for controlling operation of the driving motor 133.
In the sliding-type mobile communication terminal as described above, the driving motor 133 is operated through a user's manipulation of the control switch while the second terminal body 120′ is covered. As the driving motor 133 is operated, the rotating force of the driving motor 133 is transmitted to the pinion gear 131 via the worm gear 132. As a result, the pinion gear 131 is rotated, and therefore the rack 111′ engaged with the pinion gear 131 is moved. Consequently, the first terminal body 110′ is moved upward so that the first terminal body 110′ is opened.
The operation of the driving motor 133 is stopped after the driving motor 133 is operated for a prescribed period of time so that separation of the first terminal body 110′ from the second terminal body 120′ is prevented. However, the above-mentioned sliding-type mobile communication terminal has a drawback in that the first terminal body does not reach a prescribed position where the first terminal body is fully opened or closed as the output characteristic of the driving motor 133, i.e., revolutions per minute (rpm) is changed.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, there is needed position detecting means for detecting relative position between the first terminal body and the second terminal body, whereby the first terminal body reaches a prescribed position where the first terminal body is fully opened or closed.
When the second terminal body is not fully opened since an external force is applied to the second terminal body, current is continuously supplied to the motor with the result that the battery is quickly consumed. Also, an excessive load is applied to a driving system of the mobile communication terminal, which may result in breakdown of the mobile communication terminal. Furthermore, the above-mentioned sliding-type mobile communication terminal is capable of only a full opening/closing operation. As a result, the mobile communication terminal has only limited functions, and thus the use of the mobile communication terminal is very inconvenient.
Besides, when a user usually answers the telephone using the mobile communication terminal, the user may perceive an incoming call to the mobile communication terminal through the use of three types of sense information, i.e., bell (auditory sense), vibration (tactile sense), and light (the sense of sight). The auditory sense, the tactile sense, and the sense of sight may be freely selected according to convenience of the user.
Especially, it is necessary to use a vibration motor in order to detect the incoming call to the mobile communication terminal though the vibration. The vibration motor includes an eccentric rotor, which is eccentrically rotated. The eccentric rotation of the eccentric rotor generates vibration, by which the user can perceive the incoming call to the mobile communication terminal. At present, the incoming call to the mobile communication terminal can be detected only by means of the vibration motor in addition to the incoming call detecting systems using the bell or the LED light.
The installation area of the vibration motor, where the vibration motor used to detect the incoming call through vibration is mounted, is increasingly decreased due to other complex parts of the mobile communication terminal. The miniaturization of the mobile communication terminal is limited by the vibration motor and the complex parts.
Consequently, a new method for detecting an incoming call to the mobile communication terminal without using the vibration motor is under development. If the incoming call to the mobile communication terminal can be detected without the vibration motor, the size of the mobile communication terminal can be decreased. Also, the cost necessary to install the vibration motor may be reduced, and the assembly process of the mobile communication terminal can be simply carried out.
Studies for the new incoming call detecting method using an automatic driving system of the mobile communication terminal without using the vibration motor, which the present invention provides, have been continuously made in the art to which the present invention pertains.